Neil Magny and Michael Morales meet Saturday on the main card of UFC on ESPN 62 at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
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Neil Magny vs. Michael Morales UFC on ESPN 62 preview
Magny (29-11 MMA, 22-10 UFC) has undoubtedly seen a variety of styles in the UFC. As of late, he’s been tasked with testing young upstarts with big potential, which is the case again here. In his last fight, Magny stopped Mike Malott in the final round at UFC 297 to return to the win column. Magny has traded wins and losses over his past six. … Morales (16-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) hasn’t lost in his professional career. He enters his toughest test yet on the heels of a unanimous decision victory over Jake Matthews in November. This is the type of matchup that will set the tone for Morales’ immediate trajectory in the welterweight division.
Neil Magny vs. Michael Morales UFC on ESPN 62 expert pick, prediction
Serving as a solid attraction at welterweight is a battle between Magny and Morales.
Morales is a young, undefeated prospect, but he’s yet to face “the Magny test.”
Playing the spoiler for nearly a decade now, Magny – while not having the craziest highlight reel in the world – has figured out how to effectively win fights in the octagon as the UFC’s welterweight wins leader. That said, Magny has arguably looked less potent in recent years and the playbook on how to beat him remains the same: target his legs and body.
Morales has been a bit better about mixing in leg kicks since moving shop to Entram Gym, but he still doesn’t attack the lower levels vigorously enough for money to be confident enough in him to do it to Magny.
Add in the fact that Morales doesn’t seem to be a man who comes in with a game plan, and I suspect that he makes this fight much harder on himself than he needs to.
It’s dog or pass from a betting perspective, but I’ll semi-reluctantly pick Morales to edge a dicey decision with the more emphatic moments.
Neil Magny vs. Michael Morales UFC on ESPN 62 odds
The oddsmakers and the public are heavily favoring the Ecuadorian, listing Morales -850 and Magny +540 via FanDuel.
Neil Magny vs. Michael Morales UFC on ESPN 62 start time, how to watch
As the second fight on the main card, Magny and Morales are expected to walk out to the cage at approximately 10:35 p.m. ET. The fight will air on ESPN+ pay-per-view.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 62.
